Telehandler accident near Royal City sends 1 to hospital
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 weeks AGO
ROYAL CITY — One subject was injured when the telehandler he was driving lost its brakes and crashed at a moderate speed into an apple orchard in rural Royal City, according to a statement made by Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
A telehandler is a type of large forklift.
According to GCSO, at around noon Wednesday near Road 13-Southeast and Road B-Southeast, the crash happened. The man was treated by Royal Slope Fire-Rescue-EMS and then taken by air ambulance to a Tri-Cities Hospital.
“I don’t see any traffic enforcement on here, so it looks like this is being treated a job-related injury,” GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said. “We don’t have any charges or citations issued to the person, so we will not be naming him.”
At this time, according to Foreman, it is unknown the medical condition of the subject.
ARTICLES BY NANCE BESTON
Mayor Peter Sharp takes oath of office
SOAP LAKE – Grant County Commissioner Kevin Burgess adminstered the oath of office to Mayor Peter Sharp Wednesday. Sharp was previously appointed to this role at the Sept. 18, 2024, council meeting after his predecessor Allen DuPay quit during the Aug. 7, 2024, meeting.
Newhouse, colleagues introduce infrastructure bill
WASHINGTON D.C. — On November 21, 2025, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers introduced the Urban Canal Modernization Act, HR 6279, aimed at addressing the deteriorating condition of urban canal infrastructure across the country. This legislation, sponsored by Representatives Dan Newhouse, R-WA; Mike Simpson, R-ID; Adam Gray, D-CA; and Russ Fulcher, R-ID focuses on providing federal support for the extraordinary operation and maintenance of urban canals deemed to be at significant risk of failure. “As communities in Grant County and elsewhere face serious risks from aging canal systems, it is imperative that we act now to ensure vital water infrastructure is maintained and upgraded,” Newhouse wrote in a statement. “The Bureau of Reclamation’s canals are in dire need of repairs, and the surrounding communities who rely on them would be at risk if they were to fail. This legislation provides local authorities with additional resources to manage these critical pieces of infrastructure while protecting the people and property around canals of concern.”
Ephrata water tower waiting for final tests
EPHRATA — The City of Ephrata is still waiting for the final testing to come back to the water tower. The city had originally hoped the tower would be connected to the water system by Thanksgiving; however, the intensive water testing is taking longer than anticipated.